Lorenzo de' Ferrari

Santo Varni, Genoa, his inscription and numbering in pen and brown ink: n137 Deferrari coll. Varni;
with Pandora Old Masters Inc., New York (An Exhibition of Old Master Drawings and Oil Sketches, 2000, no.17), from whom bought by the present owner

Unframed. A number of traces of vertical or diagonal folds on the right of the drawing. Two creases original two the paper near the figure's head and three at the bottom margin. The drawing has some surface dirt and a stain on the upper right corner, where the writing has smudged. Overall in reasonably good condition. Stronger than the catalogue illustration.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The exhibition of Genoese Baroque Drawings in America, held in 1972 and curated by Mary Newcome Schleier, introduced a wider audience to the fine quality of artists such as Lorenzo de' Ferrari, whose work had been studied by Ezia Gavazza since 1965.  Lorenzo, the son of Gregorio de' Ferrari, was greatly influenced by his father's style, but blended Gregorio's eccentric manner and lightness with a more academic approach.  Other studies of figures by Lorenzo de' Ferrari from the Genoese collector Santo Varni are known, including two in the Palazzo Rosso, Genoa.¹  At the time of the exhibition in 2000 (see Provenance) Ezia Gavazza confirmed the attribution to Lorenzo de' Ferrari and pointed out the similarities of the present study to those preparatory for the frescoes in two important Genoese palaces: Palazzo Grimaldi and Palazzo Carrega-Cataldi.²  The present sheet should therefore be dated to the years between 1734 and 1744.

1. Genovesi a Milano, disegni di Palazzo Rosso e dipinti di Brera, exhib. cat., Milan, Pinacoteca di Brera, 2000, pp. 52-3, nos. 75-76
2. E. Gavazza, Lorenzo de' Ferrari 1680-1747, Milan 1965, p. 93, no. 7, figs. 36-47, and p. 104, no. 13, figs. 93-104